[HedgeYourBets]

Hi All
Very interesting discussion. I can sincerely say that Vedic learning is not restricted to only brahmins. There are lots of people in the modern age mis-understand the word brahmin. The one who had the upanayana samskara and wear the sacred thread is not a brahmin. He is the one who should possess these qualities (I have tried to list a few)
1) Learn the essence of vedas and upanishads ( here the person should be knowing the bhasyam of vedas)
2) Should be well verse in doing pooja for the benefit of others. (nowadays these poojas and samskaras are commercialized)
3) Should do yajna for the public cause
4) Should not see partiality in human beings

Only a person with all these qualities can call himself as brahmin. My guruji always used to say, a Brahmin is a one who realises that he and Brahman are not different they are one. So in the vedic era they categorized the people who are well versed in vedas and mantra shastras as brahmins. So that for the benefit of people these brahmins can do yajna or pooja on behalf of the yajamana. So it is not restricted to brahmins, the one who really needs to study the Vedas they can learn from the learned guru.

Om Namah Shivayah
Thanks
C.R.Bala